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psychodelia
Not a cop


Registered: 11/29/12
Posts: 2,284
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Song writing methods
#18952717 - 10/09/13 02:49 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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There must be a few musicians roaming the pub, so i was wondering how you guys write your songs? Do you have formulas, or particular ways of thinking when you write? I personally just sit down with my acoustic and my ipad and just play random progressions until something sounds good. But I want to get deeper into song writing, so please tell me your song writing habits, and how you came about them.
Do you record as you jam and then use the best parts you find when you listen back to it? Or do you do something else? What's worked and hasn't worked? I know i'll eventually find my own preferences but i want to see what others musicians are doing.
-------------------- don't be nervous
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Seriously_trippin
Cosmic Guru Ganesh



Registered: 07/12/13
Posts: 14,581
Last seen: 6 hours, 19 minutes
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I am a singer and I have come up with a few songs that were actually pretty damn good.However I was just jamming with my cuz because he is a dope guitarist and we never recoreded it,therefore lost the lyrics and notes immediately. So I say find a guitarist that can make jams up and kind of freestlye it and RECORD the whole jam session. Delete it if its crap
-------------------- R.I.P Zombi3, Blue Helix Modest Mouse Zappa Slothie That Kid With The face ShLong Le Canard split_by_nine & Big Worm Forever Etched in the sands of time in the shroomery and ever so beloved and deeply missed by many
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Shroomopotamus
Happy Mushrooming




Registered: 09/27/09
Posts: 18,757
Loc: Funkotron
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just write
-------------------- * Live by the mushroom, die by the mushroom
    This is a trap! A trap! You are all busted! Busted! You fools!
If a time comes where I fail to appear I've been abducted and I will miss you all Please smile and pet puppies as often as possible Be happy Be nice (<3);}
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Repertoire89
Cat



Registered: 11/15/12
Posts: 21,773
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Personally I let the songs write themselves, figuratively speaking (obviously I'm consciously doing the writing but its all done during improv which is much more intuitive than thinking mathematically).
I'm assuming you know how to transcribe and have transcribed / memorized a few dozen songs or more by now, otherwise you'll have a long way to go in order to follow this method effectively. Anyways what I do is transcribe a song and then immediately jam, recording the jam - then I'll transcribe the jam. And that's that.
Even after learning how to play, transcribing brings out the best in me. After working out a song I find my connection with music heightened and the first jam of that day will work well for its own song. Everything falls into place over a few weeks, working out the chinks and shaping it into a cohesive picture. Its odd but generally speaking I can write a new song a day, usually writing two they'll be too similar to each other. As it stands though I've written too many songs to memorize and only play a few dozen, actually cut my repertoire back recently even further so I can refresh it with new material (my own as well as covers).
Have fun
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psychodelia
Not a cop


Registered: 11/29/12
Posts: 2,284
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Quote:
Repertoire89 said: Personally I let the songs write themselves, figuratively speaking (obviously I'm consciously doing the writing but its all done during improv which is much more intuitive than thinking mathematically).
I'm assuming you know how to transcribe and have transcribed / memorized a few dozen songs or more by now, otherwise you'll have a long way to go in order to follow this method effectively. Anyways what I do is transcribe a song and then immediately jam, recording the jam - then I'll transcribe the jam. And that's that.
Even after learning how to play, transcribing brings out the best in me. After working out a song I find my connection with music heightened and the first jam of that day will work well for its own song. Everything falls into place over a few weeks, working out the chinks and shaping it into a cohesive picture. Its odd but generally speaking I can write a new song a day, usually writing two they'll be too similar to each other. As it stands though I've written too many songs to memorize and only play a few dozen, actually cut my repertoire back recently even further so I can refresh it with new material (my own as well as covers).
Have fun
Thanks, that's really helpful I just need to be consistently writing and find what works for me Any other shroomery musicians want to add something?
-------------------- don't be nervous
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ganjfather
uncle randy



Registered: 08/06/09
Posts: 6,342
Loc:
Last seen: 3 years, 7 months
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You don't write songs, you play them.
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Repertoire89
Cat



Registered: 11/15/12
Posts: 21,773
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Quote:
Repertoire89 said: Anyways what I do is transcribe a song and then immediately jam,
Should probably clarify that the song being transcribed and the jam are not the same, transcribe another person's song then improvise something else. That's the idea which didn't seem very clear the way I wrote it last time
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Snotfish
Striped


Registered: 02/27/10
Posts: 2,082
Loc:
Last seen: 1 year, 22 days
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I usually write chord progressions first. This includes having the motivation and sitting down to put chords together when I'll have no idea what they will sound like. Occasionally I will get inspiration from learning a song and trying those chords out.
The lyrics are then based off things that I'm going through in real life. While I can relate to them, nobody else can because I make them surreal, fun, and seemingly disconnected. This part is somewhat hard to describe.
google: yule cat bandcamp
see if you like the direction I take (I'm the guitarist/vocalist/songwriter for that one) and shoot me a PM. I'll do what I can to help you in technique because writing music is one of the few things I take seriously.
edit: my favorites on my own would be 'Nobody On My trail', 'Make My Day', and 'Paint Me A Face' off the first. Then 'By The Hand' and 'Nine Point Nine' off our second and newest.
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Edited by Snotfish (10/13/13 01:24 AM)
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Repertoire89
Cat



Registered: 11/15/12
Posts: 21,773
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Re: Song writing methods [Re: Snotfish]
#18970847 - 10/13/13 01:34 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Dankfish said:
google: yule cat bandcamp
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Oeric McKenna
LIFE CAPS


Registered: 06/15/12
Posts: 5,318
Loc: Babylon
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I just write what feels good . What "gets me off" so to speak
the say "verse chorus vese"
But it was also said " If it sounds good, it is good"
- Duke Ellington
Just put emotion into the music is my advice
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healing
Strangest



Registered: 02/22/11
Posts: 6,565
Loc: the universe, the milky w...
Last seen: 6 years, 7 months
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I once wrote a song composed entirely of the sequence of numbers 412441244124...
Sometimes I'll find a word with many definitions, like mercurial, and incorporate all of the definitions into a single narrative.
There are many ways to write songs. If you need help, you're not thinking creatively. And if you're not being creative, why bother?
-------------------- Open mind, open heart, open book.
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Repertoire89
Cat



Registered: 11/15/12
Posts: 21,773
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Re: Song writing methods [Re: healing]
#18971133 - 10/13/13 05:17 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
healing said:
There are many ways to write songs. If you need help, you're not thinking creatively. And if you're not being creative, why bother?
I've studied a dozen genres of music, whenever I meet a new musician I'll pry their minds to see if there's anything to be learned from them. While jamming with anyone I'm always careful to listen and observe the way they approach the piece.
That's just the way of it, learning is like eating it never stops
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Shroomism
Space Travellin



Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 66,015
Loc: 9th Dimension
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The best stuff I have ever written was spawned from free-form jamming with others you are well connected to musically. The best inspiration comes from improvisation in my opinion.
Other than that, usually I will compose something in my head, and then learn how to play it and try to get it like it sounds in my head.
--------------------
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Oeric McKenna
LIFE CAPS


Registered: 06/15/12
Posts: 5,318
Loc: Babylon
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Re: Song writing methods [Re: Shroomism]
#18971946 - 10/13/13 11:57 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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I've also had genuine inspiration from low to mid level doses of LSD. Superhuman playing abilities too
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g00ru
lit pants tit licker



Registered: 08/09/07
Posts: 21,088
Loc: georgia, us
Last seen: 5 years, 2 months
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best way to go deeper ime is just to do it more often
-------------------- check out my music! drowse in prison and your waking will be but loss
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evenlock
Stranger


Registered: 05/21/13
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Re: Song writing methods [Re: g00ru]
#18971981 - 10/13/13 12:11 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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When I'm under shower or in a bus, or I'm driving many times jingles come to me and I record them singing with my smartphone...
Many years ago many musicians (like jordan rudess) call their own ansaphone (answering machine)and sing 
An original method could be: starting from the end and go backward...like cliber study the way of the mountain.
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healing
Strangest



Registered: 02/22/11
Posts: 6,565
Loc: the universe, the milky w...
Last seen: 6 years, 7 months
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Quote:
Repertoire89 said:
Quote:
healing said:
There are many ways to write songs. If you need help, you're not thinking creatively. And if you're not being creative, why bother?
I've studied a dozen genres of music, whenever I meet a new musician I'll pry their minds to see if there's anything to be learned from them. While jamming with anyone I'm always careful to listen and observe the way they approach the piece.
That's just the way of it, learning is like eating it never stops
I prefer individual exploration. I compose music singularly, so my improvisation and experimentation is the equivalent your jamming and observing. Writing music with others does not mean that each individual cannot be creative, but it does shift the burden. At least one member must be thinking creatively. Otherwise, why bother?
-------------------- Open mind, open heart, open book.
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akira_akuma
Φύσις κρύπτεσθαι ὕψιστος φιλεῖ


Registered: 08/28/09
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Last seen: 4 years, 1 month
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Re: Song writing methods [Re: healing]
#18973087 - 10/13/13 05:10 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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yeah.
try new things. keep trying new things. transcribing other pieces like Repertoire said is one good way to expand your sound palette. explore different genres of music you like... use your math skills. use your tonal ear for sweeping changes in key or pitch. tonality at the right spot, in the right time; to change things up; makes the song more interesting, depending on what you're trying to do.
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tripp23
Kratom Freak



Registered: 05/21/08
Posts: 4,030
Loc: Florida, US
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not too long ago i wrote a really bad ass song, everyone loves it from what i know. the thing thats weird is.. i wrote it literally in like 10 mins.
laid down the guitar verse. then.. just played what i felt was right. matched the rythem verse drums wrote the lyrics literally in 10 mins my first thought was.. "just write something" so i did cymbals bass mixed it alittle and done
i still can't figure out how i did it.. its like beyond my comprehension lol ive tried others since and they just don't click like the one i wrote prior.
main thing is pick a title and write off that. it helps immensely.
i just wish i could do that to every song.. how i did it the first time.. 
ugh i need help, song writing is so difficult. its like a living relationship sometimes lol
-------------------- Experience my nightmarish first time of smoking Ganja!

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Snotfish
Striped


Registered: 02/27/10
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Re: Song writing methods [Re: tripp23]
#18973262 - 10/13/13 05:50 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Do you mind sharing the song? I want to hear something where someone came up with every track on their own.
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